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ICARDA News International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas P.O. Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria Phone: (963-21) 2213433, 2213477, 2225112, 2225012 Fax: (963-21) 2213490, 2225105; E-mail: ICARDA@CGIAR.ORG Website: www.icarda.org
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Media contact: Surendra Varma (s.varma@CGIAR.ORG)
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Anticipating
and Planning for the Future
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ICARDA must, therefore, reposition itself and prepare to meet those challenges to fulfill its mission of poverty alleviation and protection of the environment. Some of the anticipated events might turn out to be opportunities, some threats, and some both. The Center must formulate strategies to successfully meet the future challenges, take full advantage of opportunities—particularly those offered by advancements in science and technology—and minimize threats to the livelihoods of the poor. Driven by this thinking, the management and senior staff of ICARDA came together from 5 to 9 February to brainstorm and thereby visualize the future on a time horizon of 5 to 10 years. The event was called "Extraordinary Planning Meeting." Among other reasons for the meeting to be called "extraordinary" was the fact that it brought together the current Director General, Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy, and the Director General Designate of ICARDA, Dr Mahmoud Solh, to look at the future challenges and opportunities, together with Dr Gareth Wyn Jones, Chair, Program Committee of ICARDA’s Board of Trustees, and all senior scientists of the Center, including Regional and Country Program Coordinators. At the opening session, Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy, first recognized the presence of Dr Mahmoud Solh and Prof. Wyn Jones, adding that Prof. Jones is an ICARDA mentor in addition to his Board role, and has significantly contributed to the well-being of the Center. He said the objective of the meeting was twofold: to develop the 2007-2009 Medium-Term Plan (MTP) of ICARDA, and to formulate a viable Strategic Plan for the next 10 years. He then highlighted the progress made since the Center's new research portfolio, built on six mega-projects and endorsed by the Board of Trustees, was implemented on 1 January 2005. Linkages between the mega-projects, the regional programs and NARS have since been further strengthening, he said. He expressed hope for greater integration, without which "the planning exercise would be futile." He called on staff to be dynamic, vibrant and efficient in serving the resource-poor farmers in dry-area communities. Poverty alleviation should be the point of entry for research in ICARDA's portfolio, he emphasized.
To set the tone for discussion, Dr William Erskine, Assistant Director General (Research), made a presentation on "CGIAR System Priorities for Research 2005-2015." His presentation encompassed the CG Science Council priorities and ICARDA's research portfolio, and how it seeks to contribute to the MDGs. He summarized the role of each mega-project in generating international public goods (IPGs) and capacity building through partnerships with the NARS and other stakeholders. Dr Kamel Shideed, Director of MP5 and Chair of the Strategic Plan Nucleus Group, then presented key features of the draft Strategic Plan 2006-2015. He said the document was still 'work in progress' and incorporated the recommendations that emerged at the Lattakia retreat (see ICARDA News, issued on 1 November 2005), held in October 2005. He thanked all scientists for their contributions and continued support since the planning process started in 2004. The Nucleus Group continues to hold consultations with ICARDA and NARS scientists, Board of Trustees, and other stakeholders. The draft will be further refined based on the recommendations of this extraordinary meeting before it is presented to the Board of Trustees in April/May 2006, he said. Mega-project Directors, Regional and Country Coordinators, and Heads of Research Support Units then made presentations of their work plans and future directions. The discussions that followed were lively and stimulating. Dr Mahmoud Solh appreciated the presentations. He said he saw the meeting as a learning exercise, and that the draft Strategic Plan still had a long way to go. He suggested the Plan should spell out the role of ICARDA's partners in facing the future challenges, and modalities of closer integration with the regional programs. Prof. Wyn Jones said the issue of water scarcity, which is directly linked to food security, was not adequately covered in the Plan. He suggested that more critical thinking should be given to developing strategies to combat the anticipated increased water scarcity in the next 10-15 years. Prof. Dr El-Beltagy then wrapped up the meeting by summarizing the key issues that needed further thought. He thanked everyone for their active participation in the meeting. For more information contact: Dr Willie Erskine |
About
ICARDA: Established in 1977, ICARDA (www.icarda.org)
serves the entire developing world for the improvement of barley, lentil,
and faba bean; and dry-area developing countries for the on-farm management
of water, improvement of nutrition and productivity of small ruminants
(sheep and goats), and rehabilitation and management of rangelands. In
the Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) region, ICARDA is responsible
for the improvement of durum and bread wheats, chickpea, pasture and forage
legumes and farming systems; and for the protection and enhancement of
the natural resource base of water, land, and biodiversity.
The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) (www.cgiar.org) is a strategic alliance of countries, international and regional organizations, and private foundations supporting15 international research centers that mobilizes cutting-edge science to promote sustainable development by reducing hunger and poverty, improving human nutrition and health, and protecting the environment.